525 







ANNUAL REPORT 

OF 

OHIO STATE MILITARY AGENT. 

AV .\ -• '' ' '-^ ' ■ 'I' ' ' V, D. C. 
1865. 



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OF 



JAMES C. WETMORE, 



OHIO STATE MILITARY AGENT, 



TO 



THE GOVERNOR OF OHIO. 



WASHINGTON, D. G. : 



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1865. 



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Washington, Dec. 1, 1865. 

To His Excellency Charles Anderson, 

Governor of Ohio. 
Sir: 

I had the honor to submit, on the first of Decem- 
ber, 1864, to your Excellency's predecessor, a report 
of the operations of this Agency for the fiscal year which 
closed at that date. 1 have now a similar honor in re- 
porting to you an abstract of the workings of the 
Agency for the year just closed. 

Though the last twelve months have not been marked 
by scenes of so much stirring interest as those that pre- 
ceded, they have nevertheless been, we trust, of great 
practical good to a large and every way worthy portion 
of your constituency. 

The business of this office in all its branches, save 
in that of personal calls for aid, has greatly increased, 
till it now doubles that of the corresponding months 
of 1864. 

The Agency has furnished, during the past year, 
seven hundred and seventy-seven thousand nine hun- 
dred and twenty-three (777,923) miles of transporta- 
tion to individual enlisted men from Ohio, amounting 
to thirteen thousand three hundred and twenty dollars 



and fifty-five cents, ($ 13,320 55,) against five lumdred 
and ninety-three thousand eight hundred and eighty- 
seven (593,887) miles, amounting to eight thousand 
six hundred and fifty-six dollars and fifty-six cents, 
($8,656 56,) furnished in 1864 ; being an increase of 
one hundred and eighty-lour thousand and thirty-six 
(184,036) miles.* 

The money thus saved to our patriotic volunteers 
by this arrangement, amounts to some four thousand 
and five hundred dollars, ($1,500,) more than sufficient 
to pay the salaries of your agent and the clerical service 
employed in the Agency. 

The Agency has collected at the Paymaster General's 
and at the United States Treasury, for individual Ohio 
officers and soldiers discharged the service, and for sol- 
diers' families and citizens of Ohio, and remitted free 
of cost to them, nine hundred and sixty-five thousand 
eight hundred and sixty-two dollars and eighty cents, 
($965,862 80,) against some two hundred and fifty 
thousand ($250,000) dollars in l«61.t 

When it is taken into consideration that the pay of 
a soldier has been but sixteen to eighteen dollars per 
month, and that more or less embarrassment attends 
all claims of officers and men who have received their 
discharges, or died in the service before the arrears due 
them have been settled, it will be readily perceived 
that many thousand citizens of our State have reaped 
a great pecuniary advantage by your Agency at the 
seat of the Federal Government. 

* It may be well to sta'e that the railroads of our Stale, discontinuing on 
the middle of September last, left but tea and a-halt months ia which trans- 
portation was furnished. 

I To which should be added amount received tlirough the Pension Bureau, 
which would very considerably swell the am.iunt above §1,000,000. 



I am unable to give a statement of the number of 
thousands of doUars secured throu2;h the Pension Bu- 
reau to invalid soldiers, widows, orphans and mothers 
of Ohioans, that have died in the service, for the reason 
that the amounts have been paid direct to the pension- 
ers by Pension agents at Cincinnati, Columbus and 
Cleveland. 

Your agent might add here a large sum to the 
amount of this branch of the business of the Agency, 
by reason of daily calls, in person and by letter, for 
his aid and influence in getting through claims that have 
been filed by the principals themselves, or by their attor- 
neys, the results of which have not come upon the books 
of the Agency. 

This Agency has received from generous ladies of Ohio, 
through the several Aid Societies, eleven hundred and 
twelve (1,112) boxes, packages, etc., of Sanitary stores, 
and has purchased with funds furnished by the Govern- 
or's War Contingent Fund, and by individuals and soci- 
eties, six hundred and fourteen (614) packages ; making 
a total of seventeen hundred and twenty-six packages, 
against seven hundred and fifty packages reported last 
year, of an estimated value of eighty-eight thousand 
($ 88,000) dollars ; all of which were distributed to the 
soldiers in the field and hospitals without the cost of a 
dollar to the donors, or any deduction whatever from 
the contributions. 

It has received and forwarded to prisoners of war 
that were suffering in rebel prisons, four hundred and 
twenty-eight (428) packages and parcels. 

It has attended to the wants and furnished gratuitous 
information to the rise of twelve thousand (12,000) 
correspondents. 



6 

It has rendered relief to thousands of our soldiers 
in the encampments of our armies in Virginia, North 
and South Carolina and Georgia, of which special re- 
ports have made from time to time. 

It has befriended and rendered assistance to a great 
number who have made known their situation at its 
office. 

It has caused to be visited the hospitals of Washing- 
ton, Alexandria, Baltimore and Annapolis, for the 
purpose of learning the wants and necessities of the 
unfortunate Ohio soldier. 

The labor of its agents, at Annapolis, attending to 
the relief of sick and starved men from the rebel pens 
and prisons, was of exciting interest. 

Of the twelve thousand and odd of those subjects 
of the cruel barbarity of those who warred against the 
Grovernment, who arrived at that point during January, 
February and March of this year, about one-eighth 
were sons of* Ohio On their being met on landing, 
by representatives of their own native State, they gave 
manifestations of the greatest joy; and blessing after 
blessing was bestowed by them upon the Governor and 
their kind friends at home. The part taken for the re- 
lief of those noble, patriotic men, is a source of great 
satisfaction to your agent ; and he believes that it has 
been appreciated by the citizens of the State, as well as 
those who were in a measure relieved. 

The amount disbursed the past year, from the fund 
placed at the disposal of your agent, by Governor 
Brough and yourself, and by the Ladies' Aid Societies 
of our State, for the relief of the sick, wounded and 
destitute Ohio soldier, has been twenty thousand five 
hundred and seventy-eight ($20,578) dollars, against 



seven thousand, one hundred tind firtecn dollars and 
twenty-seven cents ($7,110 2T)reportedlastDecember. 
This increased amount of expenditure was owing to 
the great demands made by our returning prisoners, 
and the great addition to the numbers requiring relief 
that were thrown into this department and on the At- 
lantic coast, by the movements of the grand armies of 
Generals Grant and Slierman. 

The preceding embraces a summary of the material 
workings of your Agency. It has also a history, which I 
esteem of teiifold more value than tluxt I have attempted 
to give you. I have reference to the succor that it has 
rendered to the sick, emaciated, destitute soldiers of 
our State ; and to the. poor, heart-broken widows, 
orphans and mothers of those who have died in rebel 
prisons, in the hospitals, and on the battle-field. 

To the President, your agent is indebted for acts of 
clemency to certain of our men who have been obliged 
to seek it through this Agency. 

To the Honorable E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War, 
he is also indebted for many recognitions of the ser- 
vices of Ohio commissioned and non-commissioned 
officers, and for kind consideration of matters brought 

to his notice. 

In this connection I deem it pertinent, now that the 
rebellion is crushed, to give my feeble testimony of 
the great and invaluable services rendered the nation 
by this distinguished officer of the General Govern- 
ment. From daily observation made at his depart- 
ment for the past three years, I have come to the irre- 
sistible conclusion, that to no man, living or dead, is 
the country so much indebted this day for its salvation, 
as to Edwin M. Stanton, for reasons that could be given 
were it proper in a communication of this nature. 



If the unwritten history of this war could be known, 
my statement would be more than fully verified. Did 
we not know that posterity and impartial history metes 
out justice to statesmen, we would have occasion for 
sorrow when reflecting upon the unceasing labors and 
self-sacrihces that have been made by the Honorable 
Secretary of War, for the unity of the States that com- 
pose this great free Republic. 

To the Hon. Joseph Holt, Judge Advocate General, 
U. S. A., we are under obligations for privileges granted 
in his department. 

To Maj. Gen. E. A. Hitchcock, Commissioner ot 
Exchange, we are also under obligations for much 
kindly symi3athy and valuable aid to our officers and 
men in southern prisons. 

To Bvt. Maj. Gen. Joseph K. Barnes, Surgeon Gen- 
eral, U. S. A., for many orders looking to the relief of 
Ohio soldiers, and for transportaton of sanitary stores 
upon government vessels, free of charge. 

To Bvt. Maj. Gen. B. W.Brice, Paymaster General, 
U. S. A., for facilities in collecting claims in his depart- 
ment, and for important orders affecting the interests 
of citizens of Ohio. 

To Bvt. Maj. Gen. E. D. Townsend, Asst. Adjt. Gen., 
U.S.A.; 

Bvt. Maj. Gen. James A. Hardie, Asst. Adjt. Gen., 

U. S. A.; 
Bvt. Brig. Gen. Thomas M. Vincent, Asst. Adjt. Gen., 

U.S.A.; 

Bvt. Brig. Gen. Samuel Breck, Asst. Adjt. Gen., 
U.S.A.; 

Bvt. Brig. Gen. Robert Williams, Asst. Adjt. Gen., 
U.S.A.; 



Bvt. Brig. Geii. C. W . Foster., Asst. Adjt. (ien.. 
U. S. A., and to 

Bvt. Col. L. II. Peloiize, Asst. Adjt. (ien., U. S. 
A., 
all of the War Department projKM- for ninny acts of 
kindness and courtes}'. 

To Messrs. Jay Cooke ^^ Co., bankers, for many 
hundred thousand dollars of exchange furnished at par. 

In closing this brief report of the duties performed 
by this Agency, I desire to add a few words in humble 
tribute to the memory of your lamented predecessor, 
Governor John Brough. 

It was my privilege to enjoy, in some degree, his 
confidence, and I can testify, that in all his communi- 
cations, written or oral, he had a single eye to the 
honor of the State, the good of its people and the wel- 
fare of her sons who were fighting the battles of tlie 
country. Of his great executive ability and talents, 
better and abler persons have testified. 
Respectfully submitted, 

JAMES C. WETMORE, 

Ohio Stale Military 






